Why you should care

Because we’re inviting you on the trip of a lifetime to every single country on the map. Yep, every single one.

By James Watkins & Charu Kasturi

The Daily DoseFEB 05 2018

Though there have never been more people living on it, the world is smaller than ever. The steady march toward greater connectivity, trade and communication between opposite corners of the globe is relentless … or at least it seemed that way. The past couple of years has witnessed the rise of a new nationalism, as populations from Europe and the United States to India, Japan, Kenya and dozens of others have turned inward in search of solutions to issues of security, inequality and cultural upheaval.

We at OZY are clear on one thing: Regardless of today’s politics, anyone with an internet connection and an imagination is increasingly a global citizen and increasingly curious about the lives of those living thousands of miles away. We like to call these people the Change Generation — they may be young or old, from California or Kathmandu — and OZY strives to be their custom-made companion for navigating the world.

To understand how fast the world around us is changing, we have no option but to look beyond our bubble.

We decided to demonstrate the extent of our commitment by bringing OZY fans the entire world with our most ambitious project to date: Around the World. Every weekday, we will take you to a different country, and we won’t stop until we’ve been to every single one of them. We will have OZY team members on the ground everywhere from Dubai’s skyscrapers and Kenya’s slums to Mongolia’s steppes and Ireland’s castles. So buckle up — we’ll treat you to three stories that you can’t find anywhere else about a different country each day. They might give you a new perspective on a place you know well, or fully immerse you in somewhere new.

Our approach? To treat all reporting as though it’s local. Just because it’s on the other side of the world doesn’t mean you only care about it when electoral violence breaks out. Just because she speaks a different language doesn’t mean you won’t love this up-and-coming comedian. Just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean this local street food won’t blow your mind. And just because people don’t look like you, it doesn’t mean that they come from a shithole.

To understand how fast the world around us is changing, we have no option but to look beyond our bubble. In 2016, there were as many NFL draft picks from Lagos, Nigeria, as there were from Chicago. Meanwhile, while Americans were glued to the Super Bowl yesterday, Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo shared a photo with 120 million Instagram followers, the most of any sportsperson in the world. And while tweets from the Oval Office dominate global news headlines, Barbadian musician Rihanna has almost twice as many followers on Twitter as President Trump. On Facebook, the most followed politician in the world? Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And Facebook, an American corporate giant, itself is no longer the most highly valued social media company in the world, losing out to its Chinese equivalent, Tencent.

This interconnected world is also in great flux. Starting with elections in Italy and Russia this March, more people will vote in national elections in the coming 12-month period than at any other time in history. From mega-societies like India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Bangladesh to war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as nations like Russia and Venezuela, where democratic institutions are under siege, 40 percent of the world’s population will have the opportunity to head to the polls.

So to better understand this exciting world and where it is going, join OZY on our whirlwind world tour. Our totally original stories, videos, podcasts and photos will allow you to truly see beyond in 2018, and we hope that we may inspire you to try a new cuisine, listen to new music, read a new book or even travel to a new place. Follow Around the World on Instagram, by email or on OZY.com. Today, we’re starting in Argentina. Are you ready for a great ride?